Ventilator



Julie 1 7 ,i 1924. 1,498,256 l C. WOLFF VENTILATOR v Filed Feb. 18. 1921 2 sheets-snai z Patented .lune 17, 1.924.

1,498,255 PATENT ossia.

rCI-IRIS'lOlEll-IER V/'OLFR O'F LANCASTER, pNEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FIFTH T0 GEORG-E C. WOLF?, ONE-FIFTH TO DA H. HALLER', AND ONL`-FIFTH TO BERT-IA J.

WALDMILLER, ALL OF BUFFALO, NEW" YORK.

vnnfrrtnron.

Application filed February 18, 1921. Serial No. 445,929.

To all fui/tom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHRISTOPHER VOLFF, a citizen of, the United States, residing at Lancaster, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new p and useful Improvements in Ventilators, of

which the 'following is a specification.

rIhis invention relates to improvements in ventilators, and more particularly to that type adapted to be arranged vertically at an elevated pointvof a building or the like,-with a view of Ventilating a room or a number of rooms within the building or other strucn ture.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a ventilator of this typewhich will create a partial vacuum or suction within a portion or portions of the device, regardless of the exterior weather conditions or wind currents. y

A further object of my invention is `to provide a ventilator of this type which will be equally serviceable on flat roofs and on ridges of hip roofs or the like.

A further object of my invention is to provide a ventilator of this type, the construction of which permits ofitsfbeing made in sizes from the smallest to the largest type of ventilators in use, it being so constructed that when made in small sizes the Vparts thereof may be soldered together, and when made in larger sizesthe parts may be riveted or bolted together.

A further object of my invention is tov provide a ventilator of this `type which is simple in construction, has comparatively few parts, and will create an upward current of air within the trunk or main pipe to which it is connected, whether the air pressure is downward or air currents are directed upwardly.

Vith these and other objects in view, the

invention consists in the novel features ofA construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly .pointed out in ther subjoined claims. p

Fig. 1 is a central vertical ksection through a ventilator constructed according` to my invention, the same being taken on line 1-1, Fig. 2. v

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the ventilator.

Fig. 3 is an inverted view.

Fig. i is a side elevation on a reduced scale.

F ig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1.

y Fig. 6 is a detached perspective View ofy oneof the downwardly inclined side tubes.

The reference numeral 7 designates a central flue or conduit, which is adapted to be connected to the trunk or ventilator pipe eX- tending upwardly through a building or other structure, and the upper end of 'this flue or conduit is cut away around itscircumference, as at 8; these cut-away portions or notches 8, as they may be termed, being arranged equi-distantly around the flue or conduit.

Connected toL and spaced around the flue or conduit `7 are a plurality of tubes 9, which form draft passagesthat are arranged at acute angles to the passage in the flue or conduit 7. The tubes 9 have fiat inner sides 10, curved outer sides 11 gradually enlarged upwardly, the'curved outer sides 11 meeting the flat sides 10 at the lower ends of the tubes, as at 12, and being connected with thefl'at inner sides 10 from said points 12 upwardly by flat edge walls 13, said edge walls being gradually widened from the points 12 upwardly. f

The inner' walls 10 of the tubes 9 are cut away at the upper ends, as at 141, and the size of these cut-away portions or notches 1li, as they may be termed, correspond to the cut-away portions or notches 8 of the flue or conduit 7. These tubes are riveted or otherwise secured to the iue or conduit 7 so that a -free connection or communication is provided between the passa-ge in said fine or conduit and each of the passages in the tubes 9 through the medium of the registering cut-away portions or notches 8 and 14 of said flue or conduit and tubes, respectively.

By gradually enlarging the diameter of the curvature of the outer walls of said tubes 9 in an upward direction, said walls have the same center at the upper ends of the'tubes, but constantly change centers downwardly alongkthe length of the tube until the lower extremity of the tube is reached, where the smallest radius occurs. `Thus arranged,

there is formed between the tubes 9 inverted V-shaped spaces 15 which are closed at the sides by the upwardlywvidened flat edge wall outwardly so that air currents are free to pass through these spaces and circle around the flue or conduit 7, due to the fact that the inner flat walls 10 of the tubes are spaced from said flue or conduit 7 at 16, such spaces 16 being gradually widened downwardly from the pointof connection of said tubes to said flue or conduit and being gradually enlarged from the longitudinal center of said flat inner walls 10 toward opposite edges, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, thereby giving the airl currents free.. access around said tubes.

The outer curved walls 11 orn the tubes extend upwardly and terminate in a plane above the highest points of the flat inner walls 10, such high points being in linewith and connected to the upper extremities of the material from which the flue or conduit 7 is formed at points between the cut-away portions or notches 8. For this reason the edge walls 13, which may also be termed connecting walls, since they connect the flat inner walls 10 with the curved walls 11, have their upper edges cut at an angle.

The upper ends of the edge or connecting walls 13 of adjoining tubes 9 lie in contact, as at 17, and at the upper ends of the outer curved walls 11, each tube is provided with an outwardly and upwardly directed lange 18, the flanges of all tubes 9 being described on the same center so that when these tubes areconnected, the flanges of said tubes areV in ellect a continuous flange, and to the under side of these flanges are riveted metallic straps 19 which serve to securely connect the upper end of the tubes 9 together.- This construction therefore providesV a surrounding member orthe upper end of the flue or conduit 7, which has its upper end circular and in a plane above the upper end of said flue or conduit, said upper end of the surrounding member being co-axial with said flue or conduit and terminating downwardly in a plurality of separate tubes inclined outwardly from the upper end of said surrounding member with inverted V-shaped Spaces between the tubes and with the sides of the tubes at their upper ends in contact with the sides of adjoining tubes to form radial walls in the upper circular portion of the surrounding member, said radial walls having their upper edges slanting inwardly and downwardly toward the upper end of the flue or conduit 7 at points centrally between the cutaway portions or notches 8 in said lue or conduit.

A Arranged above the upper open end of the iueor conduit 7 is a conical member 20 having its apex a considerable distanceV above the plane of the upper end of the surround- Ving member formed by the tubes 9, and having its base or lower end terminating in a` plane passing through the cut-awayV portions or rnotches 8 of lthe flue or conduit.

The lower end of said conical member 20, which is made hollow,is of a diameter somewhat greater than the diameter of the flue or conduit member at its upper end, and it is cut away at intervals aroundV its lower end, as at 21,'to receive the contacting upper ends of the edge or connecting walls 13 of said tubes, said cut-away portions or notches 21, as they may be termed, being provided to'permit the lower end of the base to eX- tend downwardly beneath the upper ends of Vsaid connecting or edge walls.

It is to be noted that the lower edge of said conical member terminates in a plane a distance above the plane in which the lowest points of the cut-away portions or notches 8 of the flue or conduit 7 are arranged so that a :tree passage is provided upwardly and outwardly through said cutaway portions or notches 8, and outwardly and downwardly through the tubes 9, or out wardly and upwardly around the lower edge of the conical member 20. Y Y

By means of suitable clips or fasteners 22 or otherwise, the conical member 2O is secured to the upper ends of the contacting tubes, each tube being in direct connection through said cutwith the flue or conduit 7 away portions `or notches 8 and the registering cut-away portions or notches 14 formed in the inner Hat walls 10 of said tubes, but I desire it to be understood that any other number of cut-away portions or notches and Ytubes may be employed without departing from the invention or sacrilicing any of. the advantages thereof. I have, however, found that with three tubes inclined downwardly and voutwardly and separated by spaces gradually widening downwardly, highly satisfactory results are secured under all weather conditions, and regardless .of the.

direction toward which Ythe air currents are traveling. Y

A ventilator in order to be eilective under all weather conditions mustbe constructed-that it will permit the escape of foul air from the interior of the structure to which it is applied, in what yisgenerally referred to as still air, as well as under air currents, and when 'the air is not passing the ventilator under velocity, the pressure of the air is downward andprobably has a gentle horizontalI movement. The pressure of the air would compel it to travel Cil downwardly through the separated tubes 9, thus creating slight air currents through said tubes and creating a partial vacuum or suction at the bases of the three tubes, which would allow the airto rush. up through the upper open end of the iuey or conduit 7 and through the cut-away portions or notches 8 thereof and be drawn outwardly through the lower ends of said tubes. This action is the same under air currents, as the air currents would strike the cone 20 and also pass around and underneath the lower ends of the tubes 9, with the result that the air striking the cone would be directed downwardly and come in contact with the upwardlyT extending portion of the surrounding or suction-inducing member, and by the tubes thereof be directed downwardly so as to pass out through the lower ends of said tubes, the air passing along the lower ends of said tubes assisting the air passinf` through said tubes in a uick esca neL` from said tubes, with the result that a partial vacuum would, under these conditions, be set up within the liuc or conduit 7 and cause the foul air to escape and travel out with the air currents escaping from the lower ends of the tubes. By arranging the walls 13 so that they extend upwardly into the circular upper end of said surrounding member or suction in-ducer, a plurality of breaks are formed within the surrounding member or suction inducer, which acts to establish a vacuum at the base of each tube, in contradistinction lto a surrounding member having an unobstructed circular space surrounding the liuc or conduit.

In extremely cold weather, with no air in motion, the outer atmospheric air pressure isdownward and inthe ventilators now in use this downward ypressure holds back the lighter air within the trunk or pipe to which the ventilator fis connected, and thus prevents the escape of the foul air from-the interior of the structure. This is due to the fact that the foul air is lighterthan or, as it may be termed, is rarified or heated beyondthe exterior air, with the result that when said lighter air rises in the trunk or pipe and passes into the ue or conduit of the ventilator, it comes in contact with the colder exterior air and mingles with it. This foul air is therefore temporarily trapped and finally assumes the temperature of the outside air and is caused to return through the trunk or pipe and into the room, which is chilled thereby.

In applicants construction the cold air under 'atmospheric pressure passes down through the tubes 9, which are preferably gradually reduced in area toward their lower ends, and this downward movement of the cold air creates suction at the bases of the tubes and draws out `the foul air from the Ahie or conduit 7 rInn cases where "this improved ventilator is used on gable or similar roofs presenting inclined surfacesr to the air currents, the air currents may strike the roof and be deflected upwardly, with the result that they will be passed upwardly through the tubes 9, in which case the foul air will be drawn out of the flue or conduit 7 and pass around the lower end of the conical member, escaping from the upper ends of the tubes or from the divided circular upper portion of the surrounding or suction-inducing member. It is apparent therefore that under all conditions of air currents, regardless of the directions in which they move, the ventilator ,win be highly effective Having thus described myy invention, what I claim is :w-

l. A ventilator comprising a central conduit, a conical member having its lower end surrounding the upper portion of andv spaced from said conduit, a plurality of downwardly and outwardly inclined tubes connected together at their upper ends and to said conduit and having spaced lower ends, the upper ends of said tubes being in a plane above the upper end of said conduit, and the upper end of said conical member terminating in a plane a distance above the upper ends of said tubes. 2. A ventilator comprising a central conduit, a conical member surmounting said conduit and being spaced therefrom, and a suction-inducing element surrounding said conduit and conical member and comprising a plurality of tubes connected together at their upper ends and formed tov provide a circular upper portion divided vby radial walls, said tubes extending downwardly and outwardly and being spaced from each other at their lower ends and from said conduit.

3. A ventilator comprising a central conduit having cut-away portions at its upper end at intervals around its circumference, a conical member surmounting said conduit and having its base of larger diameter than said conduit so as to overhang the saine, and a plurality of suction-inducing tubes arranged at an acute angle to said conduit and each having its inner wall provided with a cut-away portion registering with one of the cuteaway portions of said conduit, said tubes being connected to said conduit along said cut-away portions and being separated by spaces gradually widened downwardly.

4f. A ventilator ycomprising a` central conf duit having cut-away portions at its upper end at intervals around its circumference, a conical member surinounting said conduit and having its base of larger diameter than said conduit so as to overhang the same, and a plurality of suction-inducing tubes arranged at an acute angle to said conduit and each having its inner wall provided with a f eut-away portion registering with one of the cut-away portions of said conduit, saidtubes being connected to said conduit along'said cut-away portions and being separated by spaces gradually widened downwardlythe upper end of each of said tubes being ot parti-circular formation and said tubes being joined together to make a complete circle with certain walls of said tubes serving as breaks within said circle.

5. A ventilator comprising a central conduit having Vcut-away portions at its upper end at intervals around its circumference, a conical member surinounting said conduit and 'ha-ving its base ot larger diameter than saidconduit so as to overhang the same; and a plurality of suction-inducing tubes arranged at an acute angle to said conduit and each having its inner wall provided with a cut-away portion registering with one ot the Y circle, said conical member having its lower cut-away portions of said conduit, said tubes being connected to said conduit along said cut-away portions and being separated by spaces graduallywidened downwardly, the upper ends of said tubes being of particircular formation and joined together to.

make a completev circle with certain walls ot said tubes serving as breaks within said end'notched at regular intervals and having said notches receiving the upper ends` of the walls serving as breaks.

G. A ventilator comprising a'ce'ntral conduit havingrcut-away portions at its upper end at regular intervals around its circumference, a hollow conical member surmounting said conduit and overhanging the same with its lower end, said hollow conical member having notches in its lower end, a plu'- rality of Ydownwardly and youtwardly inclined tubes connected to said conduit and each having a flat inner wall, a curved outer wall, and downwardly tapered edge walls meeting the tlat inner wall and curved outer wall at a-common point at the lower end of said tube, said tubes having their flat inner walls provided with cut-away portions registering with the cut-away portions of said conduit, the upperends of the outer walls et said tubes being'described by arcs ot cir- `cles having a common center-and each ic said outer walls being describedby graduvally smaller arcs of circles downwardly to cause said tubes to be separated from each other by spaces gradually enlarged downwardly, the upper ends of said tubes beingy plurality of downwardly and outwardly inclined tubes connected to the upper end ot said conduit andhaving their upper ends terminating in a plane above thegupper edge of said conduit, the upper portions of said tubes surrounding the lower portions of said conical member, each of said tubes having a fiat inner wall, a Ycurved outer wall provided at its upper end with an outstanding flange and downwardly tapered edge wal-ls terminating at appoint tomeet said Hat and curved walls, the upper portions oi said curved walls having ai common center and said curved walls beingldescribed by arcs ci? circles havingr gradually diminishingV radii downwardly.

8. A ventilator comprising a central conduit, aI suction inducei surrounding said conduit and having its upper portion extending above the upper end of said conduit, said upper portion being circula-r and having the circular space divided b-y radial walls, said suction inducer having tubes extending downwardly from said circular space which are separated from each other by spaces gradually widened downwardly, anda conical member surm'ounting said central conduit and extending intothe circular upper portion of said suction inducer with the base thereof overhanging said central conduit.'

In testimony whereoi1 I aiiix my signature.

y CHRISTOPHER wonrr. 

